Caroline Scheufele discusses what’s instore for Chopard as the brand celebrates its 20th anniversary sponsorship of the Cannes Film Festival

Caroline Scheufele

Photo Credit: Chopard

This year marks a big milestone for Chopard: on May 17, the Swiss timepiece and jewelry brand will be the primary sponsor of the storied, ultra-glamorous Cannes Film Festival for the 20th consecutive time. Here, co-president Caroline Scheufele reveals some upcoming surprises, dishes on the special pieces Chopard has created to celebrate the occasion, and shares her favorite places to eat, drink and be merry on the French Riviera.

This is the 20th anniversary of Chopard sponsoring the Cannes Film Festival. What surprises can we expect?

I am thinking of redesigning a special Palme d’Or for this anniversary. Everything started with the Palme d’Or and it’s a nice way to celebrate this long and beautiful partnership.

How has your relationship with the festival evolved?

It has been amazing. We first started working with [Cannes] in 1997, and I redesigned the most coveted prize of the festival—the Palme d’Or. Also, in 2000, I designed two ‘mini Palmes’ for Best Actor and Actress. In 2014, we crafted a Fairmined gold version of the Palme. We have increased our involvement over the years. Nowadays, Chopard is strongly associated with the Cannes Film Festival, and what [would it be] without all the splendid high jewelry pieces worn by the most famous stars on the red carpet?

What is Chopard’s relationship with the film industry?

Our love affair with cinema really began with our work with the Cannes Film Festival in 1997. Since then, we’ve gone on to design pieces for films like Nine and Diana, partnered with renowned film festivals and aided in the renovation of Cinecittà Studios in Italy.

What products will you be launching to celebrate this milestone?

Every year, Chopard craftsmen are making stars sparkle on the red carpet and this year will be even more amazing, I promise! This is the 70th Cannes Film Festival—we will, therefore, produce 70 unique pieces that will be illustrated in [our] Red Carpet Collection.

Which three celebrities best embody the Chopard brand and why?

That’s a really difficult choice. I would say Marion Cotillard, Julianne Moore and Léa Seydoux. Gentlemen like Colin Firth or John Boyega also select our L.U.C timepieces to wear on the red carpet. They are some of the best artists working in the world of cinema, and they all possess an effortless elegance.

What are your top five favorite spots in Cannes?

The Chopard roof top at the Martinez, of course! Otherwise, I like eating a splendid bouillabaisse at TETOU, dancing and having a Bellini at Albane and love celebrating unique moments at the restaurant La Palme d’Or. If I have the chance, I love spending a relaxing moment on a yacht, but it’s rarely possible.

How has your brand evolved in the last 20 years?

One of the biggest changes over the last 20 years is Chopard becoming both a major haute joaillerie house, as well as an haute horlogerie maison. Haute joaillerie didn’t come into the picture until the ’90s, but we are now acknowledged for our splendid creations every year, as well as our ultimate craftsmanship. On top of that, we have paved the way for sustainable luxury, incorporating Fairmined gold in our designs. [Last year] was also the 20th anniversary of the Chopard Manufacture in Fleurier, where we produced our signature men’s watches from the L.U.C collection, entirely made in-house.

How would you describe the brand and its place in the luxury world?

We are both an haute joaillerie and an haute horlogerie house that has an almost 160-year history. While we honor our history of craftsmanship, we also take an innovative approach to luxury. One example of this is our work with Fairmined gold. We are the first to launch jewelry and timepieces set in sustainably sourced gold. We recently were also the first to launch a minute repeater, the L.U.C Full Strike watch, with monobloc sapphire gongs.